Second Chances
by Snowfun
Summary: Mikey hated pain. He hated the tingly feeling it had before the real pain set in... But nothing hurt more than looking down at his bloody plastron, a deathy chill settling over him as he realized that he might not make it out alive... And that he might reach death's door without saying good bye...


**Why hello there, fellow fanfictioneer (is that even a word?)! How are you all doing? This is a plot bunny that hopped into my brain and refused to let go! And for those who are reading my 'Don't Let Go' story, the last chappie is on it's way!**

 **Disclamer: I don't own the TMNT...**

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Leo held Mikey in his arms, cradling his wounded younger brother. Tears streamed down his face mixed with blood. There was nothing he could do.

"I should've been there... I should've been the one." Leo whispered, his eyes screwing shut when he could no longer stand to look at Mikey's fading eyes. He wished for their brightness to return, for that goofy prankenstein laugh to erupt out of his dying lungs just once more...

"Why...?!" He gripped Mikey tighter, bringing him up to rest on his plastron.

"I-it's... Ok... L-Leo... Trust me..." Mikey murmured, wincing with every breath, every passing word felt like it was tearing up his throat.

"I won't let you go, you have to stay with me! Donnie and Raph will be here soon, just please... Don't go..." Leo buried his beak in Mikey's shell. "It's all my fault..."

* * *

...Leo watched Raph growl menacingly, his teeth barring. "You don't understand me! You never did! None of you do!" Raph slammed his foot forward into the concrete of their lair. "I'm done dealing with your 'Oh I'm the best leader, Splinter chose me' Crap! I'm done dealing with the fact that you think you're so special while everyone else is second class!"

"You know that's not true!" Leo felt his voice rise when he advanced so they were beak to beak. Leo could smell the anger fuming off Raph.

"Oh come on! You're defending yourself, why do you think you're doing that?! I'll tell you why, because you know I'm right!"

"Well if I didn't have to deal with you always undermining me-!" Leo suddenly got knocked back. The wind slammed out of his lungs. He hit the ground with such force he felt something in his shell crack.

"Raph!" Donnie screamed through his green hand that was clasped tight around his mouth, reaching to draw Mikey close with the other...

But he was too late. Mikey bolted from the lair and burst out of the sewers.

"Mikey!" Forgetting his now bruised and puffy cheek, Leo followed after his youngest brother with as much force as his legs could carry.

But Mikey was fast. He always was. Mikey always won every running game that the four of them played as children. But now, this was no game.

Leo felt his lungs burn, his heart banging in his ribcage, but he kept going. He raced to the roofs, blurry eyes scanning the buildings. But nothing moved. Save for the black ominous clouds that threatened to spill billows of rain.

The wind ripped against Leo, almost sending him toppling over the edge and plummeting to the earth below.

"Mikey!" Leo's throat stung and his hands shook as he cupped them together to shout again. Why?! Why did he have to get into that stupid fight with Raph anyway?!

Raph had started the fight when he insisted on going topside even though the footbots were roaming freely in numerous numbers on the streets of New York City. Leo had insisted on waiting till nightfall, but Raph had just gotten madder until the fight exploded to crazy proportions.

A painful cry erupted through the sky... Mikey's cry. It ripped Leo out of his hazy dreams and sent him hurtling towards the noise.

"Hold on Mikey!" Leo held back a cry at what he saw as he approached the fight. Footbots, lots of them in numbers uncounted for, encased the young orange banded turtle. Why wasn't Mikey moving?

Leo drew his katana from their sheath, striking the footbot with all his wrath. It fell... Then another, and another. Seeing one about to strike his beloved brother, Leo threw two stars it's way, hitting it square in the back. Leo's face twisted into a frown as two more took it's place.

But soon they were all dead, left scattered in a fizzing and sparking heap on the ground.

"L...Leo...?" A light yet pained chuckle flitted through the air. "What took you so long?" Mikey asked, looking up from his kneeling place, pressing his hands against his plastron to weaken the blood flow as it oozed through his fingers and pooled onto the ground.

"I'm sorry for running..." Mikey watched the blood mix with water as the first few droplets of rain hit.

"Don't be." Leo kneeled beside Mikey gently rubbing his shell. "I should call Donnie, he'll patch up up ok?" Leo pulled out his T-phone and pressed Donnie's speed dial.

"Hey... Donnie? I need you to come to the south-east side of China Town. Bring you medical kit... Mikey's hurt... Bad." Untying his blue bandana, Leo pressed it against Mikey's plastron. "Thanks, come quickly." And he stashed it away in his belt pocket once the conversation ended.

"So D's coming...?" Mikey breathed, leaning his heavy head against Leo's plastron.

Leo nodded. "Ya. He'll be here soon." And then he added reluctantly, "Raph's coming too."

"Sounds good..." Mikey coughed violently, his entire frame lurching forward. Spittles of blood splattered against Leo's chest. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Leo closed his eyes, drawing in Mikey's entire form.

"You know what... L-Leo?" Mikey steadied himself as he brought in a shaky breath. "You make for... a horrible... pppillow." He slurred, trying to desperately catch his breath.

Leo snickered lightly. "Ya, I knew I would be. But still, just rest." He moved his hand slightly so he could rub his baby brother's head.

"Thanks for everything." Another thunderous cough shook Mikey.

"Don't breath your good byes yet... You're going to be safe." Leo smiled but he felt it waver. "Hey, I'm going to need your bandana as well in order to hold back the flow ok? I'm just going to push you back slightly..." Leo eased himself away from his young brother, undoing his yellow bandana and pushing it against Mikey's plastron. "Do you have any other wounds?"

Mikey nodded his head. "Yyyaa... M-my llleg... And ssside..."

Leo went to Mikey's side and shook inwardly, gulping for air he could no longer take in. A long diagonal gash opened and closed with every breath Mikey took. Spilling his precious life blood each time. Then he went to his leg. This one wasn't as bad... Thankfully.

"I-I'm cold..."

Leo held Mikey in his arms, cradling his wounded young brother. Tears streamed down his face mixed with blood. There was nothing he could do.

"I should've been there... I should've been the one." Leo whispered, his eyes screwing shut when he could no longer stand to look at Mikey's fading eyes. He wished for their brightness to return, for that goofy prankenstein laugh to erupt out of his dying lungs just once more...

"Why...?!" He gripped Mikey tighter, bringing him up to rest on his plastron.

"I-it's... Ok... L-Leo... Trust me..." Mikey murmured, wincing with every breath, every passing word felt like it was tearing up his throat.

"I won't let you go, you have to stay with me! Donnie and Raph will be here soon, just please... Don't go..." Leo buried his beak in Mikey's shell. "It's all my fault..."

* * *

Mikey groaned. His entire body burned, from his menacing headache, to his pulsing leg ache. But nothing hurt more than the knives that repeatedly stabbed themselves into Mikey's side every time he took a breath. Nor the defying fire that encased his entire plastron.

He tried placing a shaky hand on his plastron, and with the other, his side. But it was revealed that they both had a thick layer of cloth around them. "Ug... Just when I thought getting a beatdown from Raph was painful! I need the painkiller of a lifetime...!"

"Take it easy Mikey." Came Donnie's voice laced with something... What was it? It took Mikey a few seconds to realize it was worry... Wrapped in sadness.

"I'm fine D, trust me!" Coughs converged with Mikey's sore throat to create the fit of the century. "So maybe not so fine...?" He whispered, trying not to irritate his already dying throat.

Mikey opened his eyes, but harsh light bombarded them in seconds so he pressed his hand against them to ease the brightness.

"Just stay here and don't move while I go get you some water." Donnie's quick footsteps depleted out of the room in a matter of seconds.

"Come on bro! You know a turtle can't stay down forever!" Mikey pushed his hands against the bed in an attempt to sit up but quickly regretted that decision. A hand gently pushed him back down.

"Do what Donnie says and 'don't move'." There was a bit of harshness in his voice, but Mikey could still pick it out in a crowd.

"Hey Leo..." Mikey managed to open his eyes without them being burned to reveal Leo who was now slowly massaging Mikey's shoulder. Leo's chair creaked slightly as he leaned in further to wrap muscled green arms around Mikey.

"How you doing?"

"Umm... A bit tired... And in pain..." Mikey felt Leo tighten at the last word, so he added, "but it's nothing I can't handle."

Leo nodded, breathing out a quiet, "Ok."

"Thanks for saving me back there bro." Mikey said as the two broke, now daring to look around his surroundings to reveal a mess of a room. A room full of comics, action figures, VCR tapes, and of corse his trusted human underwear, which lay just as Mikey had left it: hanging up on one of the wheels of his trusty skateboard.

Leo gave a half chuckle as if knowing his baby brother's thoughts. "Ya, we thought you'd like it better in your mess of a room then Donnie's lab."

"Totally!" Mikey gave a shaky thumbs up before quickly adding, "Don't tell Donnie I said that." He looked to Leo with a lopsided grin... But he soon regretted it as he stared half frozen at Leo's chest. Blood splattered across Leo's plastron.

"W-who's blood is that...?"

Wide eyed, Leo glanced down. "Oh... Right..." He folded his arms, covering it. "Don't worry ok? You're safe know and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again.

Mikey slowly nodded but suddenly frowned as he watched Leo get up. "Where are you going?"

"Just to see if Donnie needs any help."

"Stay... Please?"

This time Leo smiled with his whole heart. He sat back down. "Ok, so long as you promise to take it easy for a few days." Grabbing Mikey's hand, he watched as slowly the life returned to the baby blue eyes. And they lit up with their special glow.

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 **I hoped you liked it! And as always, revews are always welcome! Have an awesome day!**


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